In Israel, Life Expectancy Increases by Five Years Since 2000 as Health Inequalities Persist

The Jerusalem Post reports: People of the world are living longer, thanks to dramatic gains in life expectancy since 2000, but there remain inequalities among and within countries, a WHO report released on Thursday revealed.

Life expectancy increased by five years between 2000 and 2015, the fastest increase since the 1960s, the World Health Organization’s World Health Statistics: Monitoring Health for Sustainable Developmental Goals report said, released by director-general Dr. Margaret Chan.

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Those gains reverse declines during the 1990s, when life expectancy fell in Africa because of the AIDS epidemic and in Eastern Europe following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The increase was greatest in the African Region of the WHO where life expectancy increased by 9.4 years to 60 years, driven mainly by improvements in child survival, progress in malaria control and expanded access to antiretrovirals for treatment of HIV.

“The world has made great strides in reducing the needless suffering and premature deaths that arise from preventable and treatable diseases,” said Chan. “But the gains have been uneven. Supporting countries to move toward universal health coverage based on strong primary care is the best thing we can do to make sure no one is left behind.”